The sun peeked lazily over the rooftops, casting golden light across the sleepy little county. Yang Xu sat under the pavilion in front of the ancestral hall, one leg crossed over the other, a cup of weak tea in his hand and his mind already spinning with the day's plans.
"The harvest season is just around the corner…" he muttered, watching a few villagers drag a broken cart full of barley. "The old town square's layout is terrible—too cramped, too uneven, and no space for stalls. If we don't fix it now, come harvest, people'll be selling grains next to cow dung."
The System, silent for the past two days, suddenly chimed in like it had been waiting for a dramatic pause.
Ding! Mission triggered: Upgrade the Town's Square to a Functional Farmer's Market.
Reward: Reputation +20, Minor boost in agricultural output due to trade circulation.
Yang Xu squinted. "Why does every mission sound like it came from a government office pamphlet?"
Still, it was a good idea. If this place was going to survive and thrive, people needed a proper place to sell what they grew, bartered, or made. Otherwise, what was the point of planting more crops?
With that, he stood up and waved over the two newly recruited talents—Zhao Yefu and Qian Su—who were awkwardly standing nearby trying to look important.
"Zhao Yefu, Qian Su," Yang Xu called, "Time to put those shiny business brains to use. Come here, I've got a job for you."
The two straightened their backs and trotted over. Zhao Yefu was the more flamboyant of the two, a former merchant from a nearby region who had tried his luck in Chang'an and failed miserably. Qian Su was quieter, an ex-accountant who hadn't smiled since the day he was born.
Yang Xu handed them a rough sketch of the square. It looked more like a child's drawing, but it got the point across.
"We're turning this into a farmer's market. I want stalls, I want organization, and I want it clean. No one's selling radishes next to pig trotters, you hear me? Oh—and design me some shaded spots, too. If someone faints from the heat again, I'm not dragging them to the clinic."
Zhao Yefu clapped with enthusiasm. "Finally! Civilized commerce! Leave it to us, my lord, the people won't recognize this place when we're done!"
Qian Su simply nodded and took the sketch, already calculating measurements in his head.
As the two scurried off to bicker over stall sizes, Yang Xu exhaled and turned toward the storage room behind the kiln site. Something had been bothering him for days now—salt.
Specifically, the lack of affordable, clean salt.
Most of what they had was bought in small quantities from salt peddlers, and most of that came from the inland poisonous salt fields—high in minerals but toxic if not processed properly.
"We're already low on food. If the people don't get salt, their health will go downhill fast," Yang Xu mumbled, walking inside.
He'd been experimenting behind the scenes—small batches, heated slowly, filtered through cloth and limestone sediment. It had been messy, tedious, and downright annoying.
Today, though, the batch was different.
He poked at the white crystals forming at the bottom of a clay basin, cautiously picked some up, and gave it a small taste. Not bitter, not metallic... just faintly salty.
"Holy sh*t, it worked." His eyes widened. "It's actually edible... and not deadly."
Ding! Achievement unlocked: First Extraction of Edible White Salt from Poisonous Inland Salt
Reward: +1 Basic Chemistry Skill Point+1 Unique Item Blueprint: Salt Shop (Basic)New System Shop Tab Unlocked: Daily Commodities
"System," Yang Xu blinked. "You're spoiling me lately."
Response: Host deserves better seasoning.
He snorted. "Even the system's cracking jokes now."
Looking at the white salt in his hand, Yang Xu knew what he had to do next. The farmer's market would soon be ready. What better way to boost commerce—and health—than selling cheap, clean salt?
He stepped outside just as Qian Su came running toward him, covered in dust.
"My lord! We've marked the square and started clearing the ground. We may need to break some of the older stone paths."
"Do it," Yang Xu said immediately. "And once you're done, we're opening the first salt shop in town."
Zhao Yefu peeked from behind a cart and shouted, "You selling salt now too? Is there anything you don't sell, my lord?"
Yang Xu grinned. "Trouble. I don't sell trouble. That one I give out for free."
By sunset, the marketplace groundwork was taking shape—measured stalls, wider walkways, and shaded corners with bamboo mats and wooden poles. The villagers stared in awe. No one had ever seen such organized chaos in one place.
And in a dusty little room next to the kiln, several clay pots of newly refined white salt were waiting to be jarred.
Yang Xu looked out over the town square, which was slowly becoming something more than just dirt and random shouting. It was becoming... a community hub.
And with the salt shop coming up, things were only just starting to heat up.